Stuffing box for shafts and the like



Oct. 30, 1928. 1,689,874

lA. JABS STUFFING BOX FOR SHAFTS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 29, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l oct. 30, 1928.

A. JABS STUFFING BOX FOR SHAFTS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug, 29, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 50, 1928.y

` UNITEDv STATES PATENT OFFICE. A

ASMUS JABS, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

' STUFFING BOX FOR SHAFTS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed August 29, 1924, Scrlal No. 734,910, and in Switzerland September 3, 1923.`

The invention relates to a stufling box for shafts, rods, and similar machine parts, particularly for the shafts of steam turbines, wherein packing segments are movable in fixed radial guides. The object of the invention is to provideia stutiing box which, with a comparatively small number of packing segments will remain effective even. against high pressures. To ythis end, each segment, according to the invention, is practically kept floating in the medium whereof stuffing box for the shaft of a turbine,

. Fig. 2 is a section along the line IL-II ofFigl, Y. l

Fig. 3 is a front view to a larger scale of a packing segment of this stuffing box, and

Fig. 4 is a section along the line IV-eIV of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 shows a different form ofk construction of a segment,

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through a shaft stuffing box, the segments of which are provided with strips constituting a labyrinth packing when in contact with the shaft,

Fig. 7 is a cross section through such a segment, and

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through part of -a stufling box for a shaft according to a third form of construction.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate further modifica'- tions of details. l j v l The stuffing" box for theshaft'of a turbine shown in Figures 1 to 4 is provided with fixed separating rings l situated within the wall of the turbine casing 3 and loosely surrounding the shaft 2. Each of these rings 1, whichis built up of two parts, has a group of radial recesses or chambers 4 (Fig. 2)

arranged around the shaft 2, inwhich packing segments 6 are guided. The latter are movable radially in the recesses 4 which thus` act as fixed. guides therefor. T he segmentsY 6 are separated one from the other'by means of fixed portions 5 .(Fig. 2) of the ring l' and -are in Contact with each other only at their inner edges so that they` form there substantially one continuous ring shaped tightening surface surrounding the part of the shaft to be packed.

The segments 6, which `in this construc. tional form are suitably made o'f carbomare under the influence'of springs 7 urging them radially inwards.v The springs 7 are pro-- vided mainly for the purpose of keeping the segments, 6 against the.` shaft 2 when starting the turbine `and when small steam pressures are used. The frontsurface 8 and rear surface 9 (Fig. 4) of each segment Gare each recessed ,at l0 soth'at only a portion'of these surfaces co-operates directly with the rings 1. Further, each segment 6 is provided -with two-holes 11 which connect a space 12 comprisedbetween the seg-l Ament 6 and the separating ring 1, withv a recess 14 provided in thefsurface 13 of the shaft 2. The recess l4'of the segments extends circumferentially of the shaft 2 and,

as` shown in Fig. 3, ends at both extremities short of the side surfaces l5 of the segments,

4small amount of play between the front surr'face 8 andthe ring l, the throttli'ng effect of the `holes 1l, as well as the amount'of steam which can still escape along the part 16 between the shaft 2 and thevpacking seg- Aments 6. At all events, a certain throttling of the steam takes place along the portion 16 and the magnitude ofthe resulting force .withwhich the segments 6 are pressed against the shaft 2 depends upon the amount of this throttling. The, resultant force acting on each segment 6 is dependent on the force with which the steam pressure prevailing in space 12 presses the segment radially inwards, on the force with which the spring 7 presses the segment radially,V against the shaft 2, as well as on thefrictionalforce arising from the pressing of the segment q against the ring 1, and the force With which the steam' thathas found a path'bet'ween the shaft 2.a'nd the segment presses the latter radially outward. Since the part 16 along 'Whicha fall of pressure takes place from l face pressure b 'etivcen the shaft2 and the guides lare only small.

Ybeing ap'precab'ly. worn;

packing segment 6 is in no'case large.'

In consequence of the fact that recesses 10 are provided on the front vand rea-'r sur- 'faces 8,9' of the segments 6', the axial'A force directed from right to left with which the .said segments are pressed'against one o f the guiding surfaces of separating rings 1, 'i is small; hence the frictional'forces appearing onl said surfaces and' tcn'din'gto prevent a vradial displace'nien't of the segments intheir i The segmentsy 6 may therefore lpractically be regarded `as Heating 'in'. a'natniosphere' of the stea'in the leakage whereof is' to be prevented in other words. the segments' arc just pressed against the shaft 2 a pressure having the rnalgni.-

tude required for making a perfectly ttight joint between shaft 2 and the segments 6, but they can readily yield outward in the event of the sha'ft 2 vibrating.

I f the shaft 2 fstarts to vibrate, no' moreV steam will leak along tlie1part 16,jsince the shaft 2 now presses against the segments 6.

The result thereof is that thev pressure in.

the recessv 1 4, the holes 11 and the space' 12 of the first ring 1,.that -is theright hand f ring in Fig. 1, rises to' that which prevails f on the right o'f this ring, and which' pressure depends upon the load on the machine driving the shaft 2. H oWever, in this case also7 the packing segments 6itted .the first separating ring '1. are also' lsti'bjected to small specific pressures, rsince only the' pressure` at part 16,' which the steanf is throttled from Vthe pressure prevailing the recessie: to' that of the steam 'flowinginto the following ring, is unbalanced V(neglecting the action of the spring 7 .I However, since the'p'ar-t 16' is relatively s "ort, this unbalanced force iis' not large.' With an almost perfect degree of packing, prolonged vibration and unsteady running will yet. re-

Y vsuit in neither th' shaft 2', nor the surface 13 ofv the 'segments in' contact. therewith So long as the loadisnotl large,y is so Y long as the influence of the spring 7 is large,

'shou d occur.

in Vcolnli'arisen with'the 'resultant force due to the action of' theJ ysteamV on the single seg` ments',l the latter are automatically moved intov osition'by the springs 7 if a slight wear Fig. 5 represents va somewhaftndiiferent `Wards.

with a member 2a recessed at the 'side 34,

form of construction of the segments 6. The front surface 8 i's provided ywith a recessed portion 1'0 in the same Way as in the Vfirst form of construction; the rear surface thc steam pressures acting onA the's'urfaces 8 and 9' are nearly balanced.V The nuinberv and size of the hol`es1f1, the shape of the recessed portionsrv 1 0 and 14,

and the diin'ensions to bel given' to'the= segments 6' depend,' i n the forms of construction already described aswell as tho's'eyetrto bev describe'd, upon circumstances Instead c'f'beiiig made of carbcathe seg.

ments 6may consist, for example, of bronze or brass or the like.Y 1n all cases however Y the partof `the segment th'atf'is in Contact with the machine part t'o'be'pa'cked is prefverably made ofafm'aterial `w'i'fl'i'i'ch-'Wears.more readily than that of the machine part. `The segements can' also consi'st,'for instance, of a main body of cast iro'n orcaststeel, the packing or the like'.

The segments 6 of thestufling box shown strip' fixed theretobeing of brass, bronze cumferentially and prolduccra labyrinth-ac# ment proper. also 1n this case urged by springs 711n'Wards against the shaft2 and which have recessed Y vk The segments 6, lvvhich are portions 10V Vonv the front and' rear surface, f

somewhat when starting, whereby a better l fit on Yto the shaft 2 is ensured,` Without however producing any appreciable friction.

Fig. 8 indicatesthe nature of modifications that may Vbe employed lWithout' departing fromV they .spirit of the invention. In this case each separating ring 1 isprovided With` two flanges 22 and23 extendingradially in- Each packing segment is provided which extends between theV flanges 22, 23 and with two packing portions v25, 26, extendingV axially oneither side of the guiding member 221. The part 25 is exposed to' the full pressure of the medium which is to besprevented froml leakage; the pa'rt26 is connected to the guiding member 2 4 the packing I portion 25 by means of a bridve 27. A hole Y ally iiiivard. l

out that suchsprings may be dispei'isedwithV 28 'extending through the meniber 24 and the packing portion 25 connects the space 29 limited by the member 24 and the flanges 23, to a space 3() provided in the segment and limited bythe shaft 2, which space corresponds to the recessed portion 14 of the first example described. In this modifica tion the fluid leakagefwhich is to beprevented is subjected to a tlirottling action at 83 as it progresses towards the space 29; similarly, the fluidflowing from the space 29 into the space to the left thereof is throttled at 32, Whereas the fluidV flowing from space 29 toward the recess 30 is throttled iii the hole 28. The fluid passing from the recess 39 toward the left between the shaft 2 and the part 26 is subjected to a considerable throttling action. kBy suitably choosing the length of the throttling parts 33, 32, 28, the Width `of the .part 25, the Width of the recess 30 and the Width and lieight'of the part 2G as Well as the strength of the spring 31, it is possible to balance in the same Way as was described in connection with Figs, 1 to l the various forces acting radially inward and outward produced by the fluid on each seO'ment, the force exerted by the spring and the frictional forces to such an extent that each segment is just subjected to a resultant force acting radially and inwardly, of such 'magnitude that the segment can be considered as practically floating in a region ofV the fluid'the leakage of Which is tobe prevented.

As illustrated in Fig. 9, an additional spring 35 can be provided in connection with each of the parts 2,5, 26 pressing them` radi- It should however be pointed in all the forms of construction described.

The frontier rear surfaces of the segments 6, or both, may be provided besides the recesses 10 with special guiding surfaces 36 (Fig. 19) in the shape of ribs acting in contaneously throttle and supply leakage fluid of mediumrelative pressure from said space to the packing face of said element and i means to supply a portion of the leakage fluid passing into said chamber to the opposite parallel face of said element.v

2. A stuffing boX forshafts, rods andthe like machine parts,` particularly for the shafts of steam turbines, comprising at least 4 one packing ring having guide chambers,

land packing elements radially guided Within said chambers, each element smaller than the chamber and bounding together With the Walls of one of said chambers a space filled with a portion of leakage fluid and each element being further provided in the surface that is in contact 4with the machine part to be packed with arecessed portion extending along the circumference of said machine part to be packed and With recessed portions on its front and rear surfaces for the pui'- pose of counterbalancing tlieaxial pressure, the space being in communication With said recessed portion in the surface surrounding the machine part to be packed by means of at least one holeand a channel connecting aV point of the front surface of the element Where high pressure prevails With the re- 1 cessed portion in the rear surface of the element. l i

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

AS'MUS J ABS. 

